Jeff Fortenberry

Jeff Fortenberry
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Nebraska's 1st district
In office
January 3, 2005 – March 31, 2022
Preceded byDoug Bereuter
Succeeded byMike Flood
Personal details
Born (1960-12-27) December 27, 1960 (age 63)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseCeleste Fortenberry
EducationLouisiana State University (BA)
Georgetown University (MPP)
Franciscan University (ThM)
Criminal details
Conviction(s)
Penalty
  • 2 years probation
  • 320 hours community service
  • $25,000 fine
StatusConvictions and sentence overturned, awaiting potential retrial
Jeff Fortenberry's voice
Jeff Fortenberry speaks on the death of former Librarian of Congress James H. Billington
Recorded December 12, 2018

Jeffrey Lane Fortenberry (born December 27, 1960) is an American politician. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2022, representing Nebraska's 1st congressional district as a member of the Republican Party.[1]

In October 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Fortenberry on three charges of lying to investigators and concealing information about foreign campaign contributions.[2][3] He was convicted of all three felony counts in March 2022.[4] After the convictions, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi[5] and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called upon Fortenberry to resign. He officially resigned on March 31, 2022.[6] In June 2022, he was sentenced to 2 years' probation, plus community service and a fine.[7] His conviction was overturned in December 2023.[8][9]

  1. ^ Morton, Joseph (November 8, 2016). "Incumbents Jeff Fortenberry, Adrian Smith easily win re-election in Nebraska House races". Omaha World-Herald.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference indictment1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference indictment2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Earl, David (March 24, 2022). "Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry convicted for lying to FBI about foreign campaign contribution". KETV. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference politico-00020677 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Date for special election to replace Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry announced". KETV. April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  7. ^ Marquette, Chris (June 28, 2022). "Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry avoids prison time over three felony convictions". rollcall.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  8. ^ Schonfeld, Zach (December 26, 2023). "Appeals court wipes conviction for ex-congressman". The Hill. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  9. ^ Dazio, Stefanie (December 26, 2023). "Court reverses former Nebraska US Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's conviction of lying to federal authorities". Associated Press.